IT LIVES

Recently we've been doing weekly updates on our insider forum, the prelude alpha is nearing completion and we've been keeping those waiting for its arrival informed on our progress and what challenges we've faced and overcome each week. It's been a very busy time for us but now we see the light at the end of the tunnel and we thought to do a more summary public update rather than the usual insider update.

We set a lot of extremely ambitious goals for ourselves with Sui Generis, we have to admit some of what we set out to do sounds a bit high-reaching. It's how we imagined future games when we were teenagers and that idea has stuck with us. You might find it a little concerning as a backer but there's quite a bit of what we wanted to do that we just couldn't be sure would really work. It made a lot of sense to us, we certainly thought we could do it but with no one having attempted it before we just couldn't be sure. There have always been moments of "Oh dear, what if this just causes too many problems?" There's also been a few times in development when we've imagined just how much easier our lives would be if we'd have gone for something simpler that's tried and tested!

Much of what we're trying to accomplish is far beyond the scope of the prelude and that's partly the idea of the prelude. It's an intermediate goal that is built from the same blocks but doesn't yet need to take advantage of everything they provide. In the end we've invested more in the prelude than we originally planned in an effort to do things right. Core to our game philosophy is that nothing is a static asset or effect, a predefined animation or scripted behaviour. We need to start with such things as placeholders while prototyping but in the end everything must be complex, mutable and reactive. If anything is possible then it should always be possible and be a natural result of the underlying simulation. We're not just talking about physics here but rather how everything has a meaning or purpose, how AI understands what things are and how they may relate to other things. Our event system and AI are aimed at providing an emergent story but we believe the most important and challenging aspect of this is the little things that drive how that story unfolds; the actions and objects that are instrumental to what actually happens and how what happens and happened previously can be perceived by AI. This has always been central to our design.

So far we've been very busy with overcoming the technical challenges of how to run a game where everything is dynamic, interacts and all motion is governed by physical forces; how everything can be described, how information can be accessed, interpreted and exchanged; how things behave in consistent and plausible ways rather than through simple schematic models; how AI can form opinions and make decisions that give them access to potentially unlimited options and roles, and do this in a lifelike and natural way rather than through a rigid set of unscrutable rules.

While on the surface the prelude is quite simple we have always remained true to our goals, it is built on these things and they are functional. It shows that we've already overcome the most serious technical challenges. Really we could not have hoped for better results. SG's physical world works beautifully and it can communicate, beneath the surface it is so much more than the typical series of player activated things, it is bursting with meaning and potential ready to be unlocked.

Now we're less concerned with technical issues and what could go wrong but rather with how to take advantage of everything we've done. Nagging concerns are being replaced by a flood of ideas about what can be done with what we've put in place. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, there's no mistaking it. We have developed models and methods, algorithms and data structures but ultimately it's the data itself that drives the world. We still have to design many of the things themselves, the activites or specific behaviours, the knowledge that governs them. This is an incremental process however where we can gradually expand options, understanding and possibilities.

We realise a lot of this may seem quite abstract but it's difficult to go into detail in a concise manner. Some people might also find knowing how things work breaks the illusion. If you are interested and have access to our insider forum, you will find more information about our AI systems, about how things in the world carry information and many other things besides. We plan to continue making frequent posts with detail of our progress and some of the game's inner workings.

On a more practical note, the prelude alpha is indeed very near completion. We've solved every major issue we're aware of, including those mentioned in our last insider Sunday update. This last week we've stopped to take a breath for the first time in a while and just look at what we're doing which is what inspired this update. It's very satisfying and exciting to see everything working smoothly. This week we'll be finalising some user interaction features and work on an actual release build. Performance on lower end systems is still potentially a concern at the moment (this is not a serious issue and will be solved completely) but we think it may be acceptable for a first alpha release.

Will someone TELL ME PLEASE if i can play the prelude with the £10 pledge? THANKS! i just need to know if i have to wait for it or completely forget about this game for the next 2 years when it will be released!

I'm sure once the devs are capable of making a realistic estimate for the release date they will surely do so. Until then they'd just be pulling a random number out of a hat because they do not know.

However, considering they've successfully implemented most of the technically challenging mechanics already (which is one of the most difficult aspects of prototyping a new game), progress on the game will be made at a much more rapid pace than previously. Once they get most of the main features/content in a semi-final state the game will go into alpha/beta testing and I am betting that around this time will be when a new estimated release date is given.

I appreciate the nature of the postponement, but what I don't appreciate is the fact the estimated delivery date - a mandatory kickstarter criteria - hasn't been updated since the postponement.

You listed several milestones, these deliverables have quantifiable goals, including an estimated delivery. If Bare Mettle truly is as accountable and transparent as you claim, please provide a developer set estimated delivery date on the items you listed.

Not being able to do so is the very definition of not being accountable - without any set dates, backers won't be able to have a conversation along the lines of "X deliverable was scheduled for Y date, where is it?". The fact that months can pass without an update on kickstarter reinforces that sentiment.

I don't speak for the entire community, but in my opinion +250,000 US$ in backed funds entitles us to more than " Soon™ " .

The release schedule is going to be prelude alpha, prelude beta, prelude released to the public for sale. Next comes the Sui Generis alpha, SG beta, SG full release. People who purchase the prelude version will also have access to the full game upon release.

The devs can not give you an estimated release date for the full game because they do not know. My guess is the full game will take approximately another year to be completed; and by completed I am referring to the initial public release of SG since they plan on continuously adding content to the game even post release.

The devs are taking the time to do things right the first time instead of just giving us a bug riddled piece of software where nothing functions as it should. I, for one, appreciate that they are taking the time to do things right instead of rushing to meet a deadline.

The delays are to be expected when they are prototyping literally everything in the game and not using tried-and-true methods which other games use (which wouldn't work with their goals in SG). Creating everything from scratch takes time and unforeseen issues will undoubtedly arise. Delays are not an uncommon thing to see in game development and they've been transparent and accountable to all their backers. They've mentioned several times that they are behind schedule; they're not hiding anything.

The lack of transparency on the overarching timeline is the root of the issue. With the postponement, kickstarter backers lost any grip on an estimated delivery - and at the same time Bare Mettle lost accountability to meet those delivery dates.

What is the Estimated Delivery date for Sui Generis as of today? Beta? When is it expected to be going Gold?

You are misinterpreting what you've quoted entirely. You're also quoting multiple updates without context. The game is late, this has absolutely nothing to do with the prelude. An intermediate goal is always hugely beneficial to productivity, if anything we should definitely have aimed to do a prelude sooner. There's nothing separate about the prelude at all, it's a small slice of the game, even the environment is part of the full game and anyway we can churn out these environments at lightning speed. There are no assets and no functionality that won't be used in the full game.

Yes, we've listened to criticism too much and are putting a huge effort into meeting peoples' very high expectations of the game. Developing a game with thousands of poeple nitpicking at every detail of it before we had a chance to really get started is not something we were prepared for. Ultimately though it has driven us to extremely high quality standards and dealing with issues as early as possible, in the long run it can only be a good thing. Guilty as charged, we really care and we are doing everything we can to please you.

You see a great many developers releasing small slices of a game before the full game actually. I don't see where this idea that the prelude is something else comes from.

Solving every major issues has to do with technology and game functionality. These apply 100% to any current or future release of the game. Letting issues pile on is a recipe for disaster.

This update was almost entirely about how we've prioritised getting the full game's functionality working rather than taking half measures for the prelude. Again, virtually no work at all is going into the prelude that doesn't support the full game, we've specifically ensured that everything was done to fit the full game instead of just the prelude. This is an extremely complex and ambitious game, getting a slice of it out there before we try to dish out the whole pie was in retrospect an essential strategy.

"In the end we've invested more in the prelude than we originally planned"

Instead of prototyping 2+ years into development (5 months of which, beyond the initial timeframe scope), 4000+ backers are waiting for full title, not a prelude.

Initial scope of the project didn't include the Prelude which has clearly added to the workload. Building a separate environment instead of focusing on the main deliverable has clearly stretched the timeline on delivery.

"we've probably been putting too much effort into pleasing all our fans."

You don't see other indie devs working simultaneously on an alpha prototypes *seperate* from the main title.

"the prelude alpha is indeed very near completion. We've solved every major issue we're aware of"

This doesn't sound at all like "no work would go into this that isn't required for the main game".

It's beyond the power of a single backer to change your development cycle, but its highly unusual and I feel your priorities should align with delivering the main title at this point.

How so? We're saying the exact opposite. Instead of doing only what's necessary for the prelude we're making sure that it's built on the same complete foundations that will support the full game. We've been confronting every technical issue thoroughly rather than expediently and developing what's needed to support the full game even if it's far beyond the scope of the prelude. There's nothing here that won't be used in the full game and when we say "We still have a lot of work ahead of us" we mean for the full game, not the prelude!

To quote the 'postponement' update:
"Rather than rush to release something incomplete or just keep you waiting we thought to release a prelude which only requires a subset of the game's functionality while we take our time completing features properly and fleshing out the game world. While quite different in scope from the final game this will still be a very enjoyable game in its own right. Besides building a small independent plot (which ties in with the world's lore) no work would go into this that isn't required for the main game and most of the team will be working on other aspects of the game anyway. What it will allow us to do is bring a number of core features to completion first and continue developing others and the world without trying to do everything at once."

>>>Besides building a small independent plot (which ties in with the world's lore) no work would go into this that isn't required for the main game<<<

Already 5 months late on delivery, I would expect this statement to hold true - this update clearly indicates otherwise. Diverting resources for a prelude instead of working on the main game is rather unacceptable.

Superbacker

Thanks. Thanks a lot. This is why most of us backed the game,To see and hear you making a better way of doing things is fantastic, and just makes me all the more happy that I backed this. Keep it up, don't let your high standards fall.

That magic moment when you finally manage to make your stray pieces of game come together properly :D

Once again, it's very appreciated that you're keeping in contact with everyone, but also uplifting to hear that you're making steady progress. What you're attempting -IS- very ambitious, but whichever parts of your design actually pay off will all be more the rewarding for it. Part of the design process often means having to scale back ideas that just can't work fully, but it also means getting to expand on other ideas when you realise just how far you can go with them. Sometimes these things can be a living thing, expanding and contracting as the story, engine and mechanics demand.

This is why people took a chance on you though : You're honest, you're ambitious, and you seem to care very much for the success of your project. It's not just a medium through which you can eventually make money, for you it's all about making your brainchild a real thing that other people can experience and appreciate.

Patience is always the hardest part to a fan, but we'll wait as long as it takes for Sui Generis (and by extension, it's prelude) to be ready!

Superbacker

I too appreciate the update, but more importantly the effort and energy you are all putting into this.. It is an investment not only into this game, but surely in your own futures as well, and I feel quite certain that you will be able to reap dividends on your hard work on this game on future titles, which, hopefully you will be able to do as your own entity! -I also hope that funding remains "sufficient" as you are rather far outside of your original estimates. -That said, where there is a will there is a way, to a point, so as long as your whole team continue to believe, like we all believe in you, it should work out great in the end! Raman Noodles for the win! ;)

I don't care if it takes more or less time, I wanna see your vision at the end of the process. I was intrigued by the fighting system and how u care about the enviroment ingame.
Got plenty games to play .. which I can't coz they cost too much ;(